DBS's latest ad campaign gets you thinking: What sells financial services? Or maybe they just make for a good distraction post hols, when it's hard to get back into work mode.

For weeks now, I’ve had a Post-it note on my desk reminding myself Write DBS, and tell them you like their television ads positioning themselves as an Asian bank, not just a Singapore one. But one thing after another piled up, and I kept forgetting to e-mail them.

So I’m writing about it here. In December DBS Bank launched a S$30 million $23.5 million regional branding campaign to boost its presence in its key Asian markets. If you...